System and method for detecting an object ahead of a vehicle and controlling the vehicle in response to the detected object
First Claim
1. A control system for use in a vehicle, comprising:
- deceleration intention detecting means for detecting a deceleration intention of a driver of the vehicle;
object detecting means for detecting an object ahead of the vehicle;
travel locus estimating means for estimating a travel locus of the vehicle;
control object determining means for determining whether a detected object within an estimated travel locus should be designated as a control object in accordance with a predetermined control object determination condition, and wherein the control object determining means changes the control object determination condition responsive to the deceleration intention detecting means; and
vehicle controlling means for controlling the vehicle in accordance with one of a constant speed mode and a vehicle following mode in which the vehicle maintains a designated inter-vehicle distance with respect to a designated control object, the vehicle controlling means altering control of the vehicle when a new object is determined by the control object determining means as the control object based on the changed control object determination condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When a deceleration intention detector detects that an occupant has apprehension about a condition ahead of his own vehicle and attempts to decelerate the own vehicle, a detection area setter enlarges a detection area in which a control object is detected, upon a command from a control object determinator. Therefore, a new control object such as a cutting-in vehicle can be more reliably detected in accordance with an increase in an amount of attention which the occupant pays to the condition ahead of the own vehicle. As a result, a vehicle controller changes a vehicle control content of the own vehicle, thereby performing an appropriate vehicle control with respect to the newly detected control object to eliminate a sense of discomfort of the occupant.
53 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A control system for use in a vehicle, comprising:
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deceleration intention detecting means for detecting a deceleration intention of a driver of the vehicle; object detecting means for detecting an object ahead of the vehicle; travel locus estimating means for estimating a travel locus of the vehicle; control object determining means for determining whether a detected object within an estimated travel locus should be designated as a control object in accordance with a predetermined control object determination condition, and wherein the control object determining means changes the control object determination condition responsive to the deceleration intention detecting means; and vehicle controlling means for controlling the vehicle in accordance with one of a constant speed mode and a vehicle following mode in which the vehicle maintains a designated inter-vehicle distance with respect to a designated control object, the vehicle controlling means altering control of the vehicle when a new object is determined by the control object determining means as the control object based on the changed control object determination condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 21)
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7. A control system for use in a vehicle, comprising:
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a deceleration intention detector adapted to detect a deceleration intention of a driver of the vehicle; an object detector adapted to detect an object ahead of the vehicle; a locus estimator adapted to estimate a travel locus of the vehicle; a control object determinator operatively coupled to the deceleration intention detector, the object detector, and the locus estimator, and adapted to determine whether a detected object within an estimated travel locus should be designated as a control object in accordance with a predetermined control object determination condition, and wherein the control object determinator changes the control object determination condition responsive to the deceleration intention detector; and a vehicle controller operatively coupled to the control object determinator, and being adapted to control the vehicle in accordance with one of a constant speed mode and a vehicle following mode in which the vehicle maintains a designated inter-vehicle distance with respect to a designated control object, the vehicle controller altering control of the vehicle when a new object is determined by the control object determinator as the control object based on the changed control object determination condition. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a deceleration intention of a driver of the vehicle; detecting an object ahead of the vehicle; estimating a travel locus of the vehicle; determining whether a detected object within an estimated travel locus should be designated as a control object in accordance with a predetermined control object determination condition, and changing the control object determination condition responsive to a detected deceleration intention; and controlling the vehicle in accordance with one of a constant speed mode and a vehicle following mode in which the vehicle maintains a designated inter-vehicle distance with respect to a designated control object, including altering control of the vehicle when a new object is determined as the control object based on the changed control object determination condition. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification